Preventable Medical Errors in Retained Surgical Objects

Preventable Medical Errors in Retained Surgical Objects

Many surgical procedures require surgeons and staff to insert equipment and materials into their patient’s body, such as gauze, sponges, and clamps. But these items could pose a serious health risk if they’re not removed at the end of the procedure. Still, surgeons can be negligent in their performance of such procedures and risk leaving those surgical items inside the patient. The results of this carelessness can be devastating, including severe pain, adverse effects on bodily functions, and potentially life-threatening infections.

Has this happened to you or someone you love? If so, you can demand compensation and accountability with the help of a Chicago medical malpractice attorney from Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation, and let’s get started on your path to justice.

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How Working with an Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyer Is Important in a Retained Foreign Object Case

An experienced Illinois medical malpractice attorney can advocate for your rights and interests if you have suffered health complications from a retained foreign object after surgery. They will review medical records, surgical notes, and staffing records, consult with medical experts to determine what happened, and hold the responsible parties accountable.

Next, your attorney will seek maximum compensation on your behalf by negotiating with your medical providers, the hospital, and the insurance company. Potential losses for which you may receive compensation include:

  • Medical bills (including for additional medical treatment)
  • Lost income from missed work
  • Pain and suffering
  • Diminished quality of life

Your lawyer can also represent you in court if litigation becomes necessary to demand justice. In addition, if you partner with Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C., you will never be charged anything unless your attorney wins your case.

With an experienced medical malpractice attorney on your side, you can focus on healing from the complications of a retained foreign object while they handle the legal process.

What Is a Retained Surgical Object Case?

A retained surgical object case occurs when a surgical team inadvertently leaves surgical equipment or materials other than implants inside a patient after the surgery. Retained surgical objects constitute “surgical never events,” which are medical events that should never occur, as they have such a high risk of causing catastrophic harm to patients.

Surgical teams may leave objects inside a patient if they lose track of objects and materials inserted into the patient or fail to count equipment and materials before closing the surgical site. Common examples of retained surgical items include:

  • Retained surgical sponges
  • Forceps
  • Drill tips
  • Foley catheter tips
  • Surgical gauze
  • Needles
  • Clamps
  • Screws

How Common Are Retained Surgical Object Errors?

Preventable adverse events, like leaving objects inside of a patient after surgery, occur far too frequently. One study in Minnesota found 26 reported incidents of foreign objects left inside surgical patients during the study period. Between 2005 and 2012, The Joint Commission received 772 reports of unintended retained foreign objects. These incidents resulted in additional treatment or extended hospital stays in 95 percent of cases and caused the death of 16 patients.

Retained surgical item errors occur more frequently in the following situations:

  • When patients have a high body mass index
  • In complex surgeries requiring the use of numerous surgical instruments, sponges, and other materials
  • During emergency procedures
  • When the surgical team encounters unanticipated changes or complications during the procedure
  • When procedures involve multiple surgical teams or occur during surgical staff turnover

Surgical teams have typically used “cavity sweeps” and manual counting procedures to prevent retained surgical item errors. However, these procedures are subject to human error. In fact, the Joint Commission noted that 80 percent of retained surgical sponge cases involved surgical teams who believed they had the correct materials count.

Health Complications of Retained Surgical Objects

A retained surgical object can cause various forms of patient harm, including the following:

Retained surgical objects frequently require patients to undergo additional treatment, including another surgery to remove the foreign object, readmission to the hospital, and medications to treat pain and hospital-acquired infections.

How Retained Surgical Object Errors Can Be Prevented

Surgical teams can improve patient safety and reduce the risk of retained surgical object errors by implementing standardized procedures and leveraging new technologies to keep track of surgical objects and materials. The following are a few examples of helpful practices to reduce these preventable errors:

  • Two team members, such as the scrub tech and a registered nurse, should perform an audible and visible count. The surgical team should verbally acknowledge verification of the count.
  • The team should take a count of each item added to the surgical field during the procedure.
  • The team should take a count of soft goods, therapeutic packing, needles or sharps, surgical instruments, and other small items, along with documentation of unretrieved items or fragments.
  • The team should verify counts printed on prepackaged sponges and surgical instruments.
  • The team should conduct multiple counts, starting with one taken before the procedure to establish a baseline. They should also take counts before closing a cavity, before performing the wound closure, at the end of the procedure, and upon the permanent relief of the scrub tech or registered nurse.

Wound opening and closing procedures should also include inspecting instruments to identify breakage and possible fragments left inside the patient; visual and manual inspection of the surgical site; and empowering all surgical team members to call for a “time out” to facilitate effective procedure oversight.

Hospitals can also adopt technologies to help surgical teams count and keep track of instruments and materials during procedures, including:

  • Bar codes or data-matrix codes printed on instrument packaging and sponges
  • Radiofrequency tags incorporated into soft goods like sponges or gauze to help surgical teams detect the presence of retained objects
  • RFID systems to help teams track when surgical instruments and materials enter and exit the patient’s body

Contact a Surgical Errors Attorney Today

Did your doctor leave a foreign object inside you following a surgical procedure? If so, you deserve justice and compensation for the painful injuries, financial burdens, and personal suffering you endured as a result.

Discover what a knowledgeable surgical errors lawyer from our law firm can do for your case. Contact Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. today for a free consultation, where you’ll learn about your legal rights and options.